Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “STAR ACCRETION”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Visualizing the mass transfer flow in direct-impact accretion

We use a variety of visualization techniques to display the interior and surface flows in a double white dwarf binary undergoing direct-impact mass transfer and evolving dynamically to a merger. The structure of the flow can be interpreted in terms of standard dynamical, cyclostrophic, and geostrophic arguments. We describe and showcase some visualization and analysis techniques of potential interest for astrophysical hydrodynamics. In the context of R Coronae Borealis stars, we find that mixing of accretor material with donor material at the shear layer between the fast accretion belt and the slower rotating accretor body will always result in some dredge-up. We also discuss briefly some potential applications to other types of binaries.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Combining Astrometry and Elemental Abundances: The Case of the Candidate Pre-Gaia Halo Moving Groups G03-37, G18-39, and G21-22

While most moving groups are young and nearby, a small number have been identified in the Galactic halo. Understanding the origin and evolution of these groups is an important piece of reconstructing the formation history of the halo. Here we report on our analysis of three putative halo moving groups: G03-37, G18-39, and G21-22. Based on Gaia EDR3 data, the stars associated with each group show some scatter in velocity (e.g., Toomre diagram) and integrals of motion (energy, angular momentum) spaces, counter to expectations of moving-group stars. We choose the best candidate of the three groups, G21-22, for follow-up chemical analysis based on high-resolution spectroscopy of six presumptive members. Using a new Python code that uses a Bayesian method to self-consistently propagate uncertainties from stellar atmosphere solutions in calculating individual abundances and spectral synthesis, we derive the abundances of α- (Mg, Si, Ca, Ti), Fe-peak (Cr, Sc, Mn, Fe, Ni), odd-Z (Na, Al, V), and neutron-capture (Ba, Eu) elements for each star. We find that the G21-22 stars are not chemically homogeneous. Based on the kinematic analysis for all three groups and the chemical analysis for G21-22, we conclude the three are not genuine moving groups. The case for G21-22 demonstrates the benefit of combining kinematic and chemical information in identifying conatal populations when either alone may be insufficient. Comparing the integrals of motion and velocities of the six G21-22 stars with those of known structures in the halo, we tentatively associate them with the Gaia-Enceladus accretion event.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Distant Echoes of the Milky Way’s Last Major Merger

The majority of the Milky Way’s stellar halo consists of debris from our galaxy’s last major merger, the Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus (GSE). In the past few years, stars from the GSE have been kinematically and chemically studied in the inner 30 kpc of our galaxy. However, simulations predict that accreted debris could lie at greater distances, forming substructures in the outer halo. Here we derive metallicities and distances using Gaia DR3 XP spectra for an all-sky sample of luminous red giant stars, and map the outer halo with kinematics and metallicities out to 100 kpc. We obtain follow-up spectra of stars in two strong overdensities—including the previously identified outer Virgo Overdensity—and find them to be relatively metal rich and on predominantly retrograde orbits, matching predictions from simulations of the GSE merger. We argue that these are apocentric shells of GSE debris, forming 60–90 kpc counterparts to the 15–20 kpc shells that are known to dominate the inner stellar halo. Extending our search across the sky with literature radial velocities, we find evidence for a coherent stream of retrograde stars encircling the Milky Way from 50 to 100 kpc, in the same plane as the Sagittarius Stream but moving in the opposite direction. These are the first discoveries of distant and structured imprints from the GSE merger, cementing the picture of an inclined and retrograde collision that built up our galaxy’s stellar halo.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Searching for Active Low-mass Stars in the CMa Star-forming Region: Multi-band Photometry with T80S

An exotic environment surrounds the young stellar groups associated with the Canis Major (CMa) OB1/R1 region, which probably was formed under feedback from at least three supernova events having occurred a few million years ago. We use astrometric data from the Gaia-DR2 to confirm the membership of the stars in CMa R1, based on proper motion and parallax, which revealed 514 new members and candidates. The mean age of 5 Myr estimated from the color–magnitude diagram characterizes the sources as likely pre-main-sequence candidates. In total, a sample of 694 stars detected with the T80-South telescope was analyzed according to different color–color diagrams, which were compared with theoretical colors from evolutionary models, aiming to reveal the objects that exhibit color excess due to accretion processes. Accretion and magnetic activity were also explored on the basis of empirical flux–flux relation, such as F {sub 660} and F {sub 861} that are related to Hα and Ca ii triplet emission, respectively. A low fraction (∼3 percent) of the sample have Hα excess and other colors expected for stars exhibiting chromospheric activity. The number of Class I and Class II objects, identified by the infrared (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) colors, indicates a disk fraction of ∼6 percent, which is lower than that expected for stellar clusters with a similar age. Such a large sample of objects associated with CMa R1 without evidences of circumstellar accretion can be interpreted as a lack of disk-bearing stars, unusual for young star-forming regions. However, this may be explained as the result of supernova events.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ab-initio General-relativistic Neutrino-radiation Hydrodynamics Simulations of Long-lived Neutron Star Merger Remnants to Neutrino Cooling Timescales

Abstract We perform the first 3D ab-initio general-relativistic neutrino-radiation hydrodynamics of a long-lived neutron star merger remnant spanning a fraction of its cooling timescale. We find that neutrino cooling becomes the dominant energy loss mechanism after the gravitational-wave dominated phase (∼20 ms postmerger). Electron flavor antineutrino luminosity dominates over electron flavor neutrino luminosity at early times, resulting in a secular increase of the electron fraction in the outer layers of the remnant. However, the two luminosities become comparable ∼20–40 ms postmerger. A dense gas of electron antineutrinos is formed in the outer core of the remnant at densities ∼10 14.5 g cm −3 , corresponding to temperature hot spots. The neutrinos account for ∼10% of the lepton number in this region. Despite the negative radial temperature gradient, the radial entropy gradient remains positive, and the remnant is stably stratified according to the Ledoux criterion for convection. A massive accretion disk is formed from the material squeezed out of the collisional interface between the stars. The disk carries a large fraction of the angular momentum of the system, allowing the remnant massive neutron star to settle to a quasi-steady equilibrium within the region of possible, stable, rigidly rotating configurations. The remnant is differentially rotating, but it is stable against the magnetorotational instability. Other MHD mechanisms operating on longer timescales are likely responsible for the removal of the differential rotation. Our results indicate the remnant massive neutron star is thus qualitatively different from a protoneutron stars formed in core-collapse supernovae.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

An Asymmetric Dust Ring around a Very Low Mass Star ZZ Tau IRS

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) gas and dust observations at band 7 (339 GHz: 0.89 mm) of the protoplanetary disk around a very low mass star ZZ Tau IRS with a spatial resolution of 025. The {sup 12}CO J = 3 → 2 position–velocity diagram suggests a dynamical mass of ZZ Tau IRS of ∼0.1–0.3 M {sub ☉}. The disk has a total flux density of 273.9 mJy, corresponding to an estimated mass of 24–50 M {sub ⊕} in dust. The dust emission map shows a ring at r = 58 au and an azimuthal asymmetry at r = 45 au with a position angle of 135°. The properties of the asymmetry, including radial width, aspect ratio, contrast, and contribution to the total flux, were found to be similar to the asymmetries around intermediate mass stars (∼2 M {sub ☉}) such as MWC 758 and IRS 48. This implies that the asymmetry in the ZZ Tau IRS disk shares a similar origin with others, despite the star being ∼10 times less massive. Our observations also suggest that the inner and outer parts of the disk may be misaligned. Overall, the ZZ Tau IRS disk shows evidence of giant planet formation on a ∼10 au scale at a few megayears. If confirmed, it will challenge existing core accretion models in which such planets have been predicted to be extremely hard to form around very low mass stars.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

ASAS J071404+7004.3 – a close, bright nova-like cataclysmic variable with gusty winds

ABSTRACT Despite being bright (V ≃ 11.8) and nearby (d = 212 pc) ASAS J071404+7004.3 has only recently been identified as a nova-like cataclysmic variable. We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy obtained at the Isaac Newton and the Hiltner and McGraw-Hill Telescopes, together with Swift X-ray and ultraviolet observations. We combined these with TESS photometry and find a period of 3.28 h and a mass transfer rate of $4\!-\!9\times 10^{-9}\, {\mathrm{M_{\odot }\, yr}^{-1}}$. Historical photometry shows at least one low state establishing the system as a VY Scl star. Our high-cadence spectroscopy also revealed rapidly changing winds emanating from the accretion disc. We have modelled these using the Monte Carlo python code and shown that all the emission lines could emanate from the wind – which would explain the lack of double-peaked lines in such systems. In passing, we discuss the effect of variability on the position of cataclysmic variables in the Gaia Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

Inight, K. (ORCID:0000000222002416)↗
DOE OSTI2022

A deep, multi-epoch Chandra HETG study of the ionized outflow from NGC 4051

Actively accreting supermassive black holes significantly impact the evolution of their host galaxies, truncating further star formation by expelling large fractions of gas with wide-angle outflows. The X-ray band is key to understanding how these black hole winds affect their environment, as the outflows have high temperatures ~10 5–8 K). We have developed a Bayesian framework for characterizing active galactic nucleus outflows with an improved ability to explore parameter space and perform robust model selection. We applied this framework to a new 700 ks and an archival 315 ks Chandra High Energy Transmission Gratings observation of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051. We have detected six absorbers intrinsic to NGC 4051. These wind components span velocities from 400 to 30000 km s -1 . We have determined that the most statistically significant wind component is purely collisionally ionized, which is the first detection of such an absorber. This wind has T ≈ 10 7 K and v ≈ 880 km s -1 and remains remarkably stable between the two epochs. Other slow components also remain stable across time. Fast outflow components change their properties between 2008 and 2016, suggesting either physical changes or clouds moving in and out of the line of sight. For one of the fast components, we obtain one of the tightest wind density measurements to date, log n/(cm -3 ) = 13.0$^{+0.01}_{-0.02}$, and determine that it is located at ~240 gravitational radii. The estimated total outflow power surpasses 5 percent of the bolometric luminosity (albeit with large uncertainties) making it important in the context of galaxy–black hole interactions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

The Origin of Star Formation in Early-type Galaxies Inferred from Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy

Abstract We investigate the origin of star formation activity in early-type galaxies with current star formation using spatially resolved spectroscopic data from the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We first identify star-forming early-type galaxies from the SDSS sample, which are morphologically early-type but show current star formation activity in their optical spectra. We then construct comparison samples with different combinations of star formation activity and morphology, which include star-forming late-type galaxies, quiescent early-type galaxies, and quiescent late-type galaxies. Our analysis of the optical spectra reveals that the star-forming early-type galaxies have two distinctive episodes of star formation, which is similar to late-type galaxies but different from quiescent early-type galaxies with a single star formation episode. Star-forming early-type galaxies have properties in common with star-forming late-type galaxies, which include stellar population, gas and dust content, mass, and environment. However, the physical properties of star-forming early-type galaxies derived from spatially resolved spectroscopy differ from those of star-forming late-type galaxies in the sense that the gas in star-forming early-type galaxies is more concentrated than their stars, and is often kinematically misaligned with stars. The age gradient of star-forming early-type galaxies also differs from those of star-forming late-type galaxies. Our findings suggest that the current star formation in star-forming early-type galaxies has an external origin including galaxy mergers or accretion gas from the cosmic web.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Satellite Metallicity Enhancement I: Suppressed Star Formation, Stellar Mass Loss, and Enriched Inflow of DESI and EAGLE Galaxies around Massive Clusters

Environmental effects are a primary driver of elevated gas-phase metallicities in galaxies around massive clusters, but the underlying physical mechanisms for this satellite metallicity enhancement (SME) are still unclear. Using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) Data Release 1, we present the first measurement of the average SME as a function of projected cluster-centric distance. The resulting profile reveals three distinct regimes: a steep decline from the cluster center, a plateau near the cluster boundary, and an extended downturn across several cluster radii. Remarkably, the complex shape and amplitude of this observed SME profile are successfully reproduced in the EAGLE cosmological simulation. Drawing insights from EAGLE, we develop a novel satellite chemical evolution model to decompose the observed SME into physical contributions from suppressed star formation, stellar mass loss, and enriched gas inflow. Our analysis shows that continuous accretion of enriched intracluster medium dominates the SME plateau within the cluster virial radius, while mass loss and quenching jointly drive the rapid metallicity decline in the cluster core. Our method disentangles the impacts of three environmental processes on galactic chemical enrichment in the cosmic web, providing a powerful framework for understanding cluster galaxy evolution with current and future spectroscopic surveys.

Lin, Yuanye [Shanghai Jiao Tong U.; Shanghai Jiaot↗
DOE OSTI2022

Evidence that the Hot Jupiter WASP-77 A b Formed Beyond Its Parent Protoplanetary Disk’s H2O Ice Line

Idealized protoplanetary disk and giant planet formation models have been interpreted to suggest that a giant planet's atmospheric abundances can be used to infer its formation location in its parent protoplanetary disk. It has recently been reported that the hot Jupiter WASP-77 A b has subsolar atmospheric carbon and oxygen abundances with a solar C/O abundance ratio. Assuming solar carbon and oxygen abundances for its host star WASP-77 A, WASP-77 A b's atmospheric carbon and oxygen abundances possibly indicate that it accreted its envelope interior to its parent protoplanetary disk's H 2 O ice line from carbon-depleted gas with little subsequent planetesimal accretion or core erosion. We show that the photospheric abundances of carbon and oxygen in WASP-77 A are supersolar with a subsolar C/O abundance ratio, implying that WASP-77 A b's atmosphere has significantly substellar carbon and oxygen abundances with a superstellar C/O ratio. Our result possibly indicates that WASP-77 A b's envelope was accreted by the planet beyond its parent protoplanetary disk's H 2 O ice line. While numerous theoretical complications to these idealized models have now been identified, the possibility of nonsolar protoplanetary disk abundance ratios confound even the most sophisticated protoplanetary disk and giant planet formation models. We therefore argue that giant planet atmospheric abundance ratios can only be meaningfully interpreted relative to the possibly nonsolar mean compositions of their parent protoplanetary disks as recorded in the photospheric abundances of their dwarf host stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

A comparative analysis of the chemical compositions of Gaia-Enceladus/Sausage and Milky Way satellites using APOGEE

ABSTRACT We use data from the 17th data release of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE 2) to contrast the chemical composition of the recently discovered Gaia Enceladus/Sausage system (GE/S) to those of 10 Milky Way (MW) dwarf satellite galaxies: LMC, SMC, Boötes I, Carina, Draco, Fornax, Sagittarius, Sculptor, Sextans, and Ursa Minor. Our main focus is on the distributions of the stellar populations of those systems in the [Mg/Fe]–[Fe/H] and [Mg/Mn]–[Al/Fe] planes, which are commonly employed in the literature for chemical diagnosis and where dwarf galaxies can be distinguished from in situ populations. We show that, unlike MW satellites, a GE/S sample defined purely on the basis of orbital parameters falls almost entirely within the locus of ‘accreted’ stellar populations in chemical space, which is likely caused by an early quenching of star formation in GE/S. Due to a more protracted history of star formation, stars in the metal-rich end of the MW satellite populations are characterized by lower [Mg/Mn] than those of their GE/S counterparts. The chemical compositions of GE/S stars are consistent with a higher early star formation rate (SFR) than MW satellites of comparable and even higher mass, suggesting that star formation in the early universe was strongly influenced by other parameters in addition to mass. We find that the direction of the metallicity gradient in the [Mg/Mn]–[Al/Fe] plane of dwarf galaxies is an indicator of the early SFR of the system.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Systematic Search for Outbursting AM CVn Systems with the Zwicky Transient Facility

AM CVn systems are a rare type of accreting binary that consists of a white dwarf and a helium-rich, degenerate donor star. Using the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), we searched for new AM CVn systems by focusing on blue, outbursting stars. We first selected outbursting stars using the ZTF alerts. We cross matched the candidates with Gaia and Pan-STARRS catalogs. The initial selection of candidates based on the Gaia BP-RP contains 1751 unknown objects. We used the Pan-STARRS g-r and r-i color in combination with the Gaia color to identify 59 strong AM CVn candidates. We obtained identification spectra of 35 sources, of which 18 are high-priority candidates, and discovered nine new AM CVn systems and one magnetic CV that shows only He-ii lines. Using the outburst recurrence time, we estimate the orbital periods of the nine new AM CVn systems that are in the range of 29–50 minutes. We conclude that targeted follow up of blue, outbursting sources is an efficient method to find new AM CVn systems and we plan to follow up all candidates we identified to systematically study the population of outbursting AM CVn systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The chemical compositions of accreted and in situ galactic globular clusters according to SDSS/APOGEE

ABSTRACT Studies of the kinematics and chemical compositions of Galactic globular clusters (GCs) enable the reconstruction of the history of star formation, chemical evolution, and mass assembly of the Galaxy. Using the latest data release (DR16) of the SDSS/APOGEE survey, we identify 3090 stars associated with 46 GCs. Using a previously defined kinematic association, we break the sample down into eight separate groups and examine how the kinematics-based classification maps into chemical composition space, considering only α (mostly Si and Mg) elements and Fe. Our results show that (i) the loci of both in situ and accreted subgroups in chemical space match those of their field counterparts; (ii) GCs from different individual accreted subgroups occupy the same locus in chemical space. This could either mean that they share a similar origin or that they are associated with distinct satellites which underwent similar chemical enrichment histories; (iii) the chemical compositions of the GCs associated with the low orbital energy subgroup defined by Massari and collaborators is broadly consistent with an in situ origin. However, at the low-metallicity end, the distinction between accreted and in situ populations is blurred; (iv) regarding the status of GCs whose origin is ambiguous, we conclude the following: the position in Si–Fe plane suggests an in situ origin for Liller 1 and a likely accreted origin for NGC 5904 and NGC 6388. The case of NGC 288 is unclear, as its orbital properties suggest an accretion origin, its chemical composition suggests it may have formed in situ.

Horta, Danny↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Rotation Rate for the Planetary-mass Companion DH Tau b

DH Tau b is a young planetary-mass companion orbiting at a projected separation of 320 au from its ∼2 Myr old host star DH Tau. With an estimated mass of 8–22 M{sub Jup} this object straddles the deuterium-burning limit, and might have formed via core or pebble accretion, disk instability, or molecular cloud fragmentation. To shed light on the formation history of DH Tau b, we obtain the first measurement of rotational line broadening for this object using high-resolution (R ∼ 25,000) near-infrared spectroscopy from Keck/NIRSPEC. We measure a projected rotational velocity (v sin i) of 9.6 ± 0.7 km s{sup −1}, corresponding to a rotation rate that is between 9% and 15% of DH Tau b’s predicted breakup speed. This low rotation rate is in good agreement with scenarios in which magnetic coupling between the companion and its circumplanetary disk during the late stages of accretion reduces angular momentum and regulates spin. We compare the rotation rate of DH Tau b to published values for other planetary-mass objects with masses between 0.3 and 20 M{sub Jup} and find no evidence of a correlation between mass and rotation rate in this mass regime. Finally, we search for evidence of individual molecules in DH Tau b’s spectrum and find that it is dominated by CO and H{sub 2}O, with no evidence of the presence of CH{sub 4}. This agrees with expectations given DH Tau b’s relatively high effective temperature (∼2300 K).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

WASP-107b’s Density Is Even Lower: A Case Study for the Physics of Planetary Gas Envelope Accretion and Orbital Migration

With a mass in the Neptune regime and a radius of Jupiter, WASP-107b presents a challenge to planet formation theories. Meanwhile, the planet’s low surface gravity and the star’s brightness also make it one of the most favorable targets for atmospheric characterization. Here, we present the results of an extensive 4 yr Keck/HIRES radial-velocity (RV) follow-up program of the WASP-107 system and provide a detailed study of the physics governing the accretion of the gas envelope of WASP-107b. We reveal that WASP-107b’s mass is only 1.8 Neptune masses (M {sub b} = 30.5 ± 1.7 M {sub ⊕}). The resulting extraordinarily low density suggests that WASP-107b has a H/He envelope mass fraction of >85% unless it is substantially inflated. The corresponding core mass of <4.6 M {sub ⊕} at 3σ is significantly lower than what is traditionally assumed to be necessary to trigger massive gas envelope accretion. We demonstrate that this large gas-to-core mass ratio most plausibly results from the onset of accretion at ≳1 au onto a low-opacity, dust-free atmosphere and subsequent migration to the present-day a {sub b} = 0.0566 ± 0.0017 au. Beyond WASP-107b, we also detect a second, more massive planet (M{sub c}sin i=0.36±0.04M{sub J}) on a wide eccentric orbit (e {sub c} = 0.28 ± 0.07) that may have influenced the orbital migration and spin–orbit misalignment of WASP-107b. Overall, our new RV observations and envelope accretion modeling provide crucial insights into the intriguing nature of WASP-107b and the system’s formation history. Looking ahead, WASP-107b will be a keystone planet to understand the physics of gas envelope accretion.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

XMM-Newton and TESS observations of the highly variable polar V496 UMa

We studied the temporal and spectral behavior of V496 UMa from the optical to the X-ray regimes. Methods. We used archival XMM-Newton and TESS observations obtained in 2017 and 2019, respectively, to perform a spectral and timing analysis of the highly variable magnetic CV. Results. The light curves of the TESS and XMM-Newton satellites reveal a double-humped pattern modulated with the periodicity of 91.058467 ± 0.00001 min. V496 UMa displays a two-pole accretion geometry in the high accretion state. X-ray spectra from these regions are composed of thermal plasma radiation and soft blackbody components with almost identical temperatures and a total accretion rate of $\dot{M}$ = 1.4(8) × 10 -11 M ⊙ yr -1 . The X-ray centers of the humps show longitudinal shifts of -18° and 4°, and shifts around photometric phase zero of -172° and -186°, for the main hump and second hump, respectively. The long-term ZTF light curves reveal high and low accretions states. Low-state ZTF and SDSS photometric data are consistent with an 0.8 M ⊙ white dwarf at 10 000 K and a main-sequence donor star with a spectral type of M5.0 at a Gaia determined distance of 758 pc. Conclusions. V496 UMa is a very bright polar in X-rays when it is in the high state. Due to its unusual geometric structure, mass accretion onto the second accretion pole is interrupted occasionally. This discontinuous behavior does not follow a certain pattern in time and has been observed so far only in the high state. The X-ray light curves display clear evidence of an accretion stream at the photometric phase of φ = 0.81, which does not show up in optical light curves. An accurate period was derived using the combined TESS and XMM-Newton data, which differs by 3.8 σ from published results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Transport of Protostellar Cosmic Rays in Turbulent Dense Cores

We report recent studies have suggested that low-energy cosmic rays (CRs) may be accelerated inside molecular clouds by the shocks associated with star formation. We use a Monte Carlo transport code to model the propagation of CRs accelerated by protostellar accretion shocks through protostellar cores. We calculate the CR attenuation and energy losses and compute the resulting flux and ionization rate as a function of both radial distance from the protostar and angular position. We show that protostellar cores have nonuniform CR fluxes that produce a broad range of CR ionization rates, with the maximum value being up to two orders of magnitude higher than the radial average at a given distance. In particular, the CR flux is focused in the direction of the outflow cavity, creating a "flashlight" effect and allowing CRs to leak out of the core. The radially averaged ionization rates are less than the measured value for the Milky Way of ζ ≈ 10 -16 s -1 ; however, within r ≈ 0.03 pc from the protostar, the maximum ionization rates exceed this value. We show that variation in the protostellar parameters, particularly in the accretion rate, may produce ionization rates that are a couple of orders of magnitude higher or lower than our fiducial values. Finally, we use a statistical method to model unresolved subgrid magnetic turbulence in the core. We show that turbulence modifies the CR spectrum and increases the uniformity of the CR distribution but does not significantly affect the resulting ionization rates.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗